Many connectors are available for connecting two long optical cables together, in a manner that assures that a high proportion of light is transmitted between the optical fibers of the cables. A highly efficient coupling method involves polishing the tips of the optical fibers so they are smooth and flat, and positioning the tips in facewise contact (or very close). Since optical fibers are of small width such as several thousandths inch in diameter, the mating tips of two fibers are often held in alignment by mounting each fiber end in a ferrule and holding the ferrules in a sleeve.
There are many applications where a photoelectric transducer is used to detect the modulation of light passing through an optical fiber, and to generate electrical currents representing the modulation. Also, such transducers are used to convert electrical signals to light for transmission along an optical fiber. It is possible to merely place a transducer on a connector so it will lie close to the tip of an optical fiber on a mating optical connector. However, since the mating optical connector is often constructed for connecting to another optical connector, only a small proportion of the light from the mating optical fiber may reach the transducer. Also, if the transducer is intended to generate light for passage along a fiber of a long mating optical cable, then the poor optical coupling may result in very low light levels along the mating optical cable. An optoelectric connector which efficiently detected and transmitted light to and from an optical fiber on a mating optical connector would be of value.
It is common to have the light passing through an optical fiber carry high frequency signals by modulation of the light. When such high frequency signals are carried between a photoelectric transducer and electrical contacts of the optoelectric connector, there is a possibility that electromagnetic interference in the environment of the connector will generate noise that will affect circuitry designed to receive the high frequency electrical signals. It would be desirable if such noise could be minimized.